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Basan — Description

When I think about this creature, I can't help but imagine what someone's first encounter with it could be like. Perhaps a stranger to these lands, traveling this particular mountainous region. As they walk through the wilds, they see many new sights and fantastical creatures. Beauties and dangers quite foreign to them! But then, a familiar face! An animal that they know rather well, but here of all places! Surely, they must be puzzled for a moment, as why would a simple rooster be in such a region? No matter the reason, it is a creature they are familiar with, and perhaps one they know is good for eating. Hungry after a day of travel, some fresh caught chicken would surely hit the spot! All this leading up to the moment the bird opens its beak and then spews out a brilliant flame! Imagine the stranger's face at that sight!
While to some, the basan may look like an overgrown rooster, there is a little bit more to them than that! Indeed, they are a bird, and share a lot of similarities with the domesticated cock folk are familiar with. However, this species is actually a member of the cockatrice family! It can be a little difficult to see, as this one possesses more a feathery tail than scaly, and its plumage makes people mistake who its relatives are. Yet, it is no ordinary cock! My description of it breathing fire surely made that point!
As I mentioned before, these birds can be found in mountainous regions, where they feed upon vegetation and critters. They are omnivores, with a taste for some particular ingredients. Like other cockatrices, they have a modified crop which they use to store certain materials and fluids. While others may opt for noxious liquids and poisons, the basan goes for something more flammable! The flora and fauna it feeds upon builds up this store, combining with their own special fluid held within. When they feel threatened by predators or intruders, their defensive maneuver is to spew out this ammo and ignite it! What results is a blast of brilliant blue flame! No doubt many would think twice about dealing with such a weapon! Which is good because it is a pretty expensive one!
With poison, you usually only need a little bit to do some serious damage, but fire breath calls for far more fuel. And with that tied to their crop stores, belching flame everywhere is sure to leave them depleted. Thus, the basan doesn't immediately go for blazing blasts when it is threatened. Instead, it will use only a small portion of fuel to release a warning flare, a burst of blinding blue fire! While it sure is dazzling and intimidating to see, it isn't all that dangerous. Its life span is very short, going out within moments, and it doesn't release that much heat. It honestly would even struggle to light a candle! For this reason, combined with its blue color, locals have described it as a "cold flame." It is a tool of pure display, more so creating intimidating light than doing actual damage. This is to let predators know it is armed and ready to fight, which causes many to turn tail and run. This is good, because the basan can then conserve its fuel for those who ignore such warnings and decide to risk it all.
If an attacker chooses to keep at its harassment of the basan, then the real flame comes out. This is when it will actually use a good portion of crop fuel to release potent blue fire. The warning you get before this happens is its split comb flopping down over its eyes and face, acting as a shield against the fire that is soon to come. When the basan releases this flame, it will also spray a bit of fluid with it, which can land on foes and afflict them with its burning bite. Lighting foes on fire is certainly a way to get them running! However, it is a costly attack, and they can't do too much of it before they need to find more flammable food to ingest. Thus, smarter predators learn how to bait these flames and make a basan empty its fuel in failed attempts. This leaves them more exposed to attackers, but don't forget their sharp beak and talons! Just because they lost their fire doesn't mean they lost the fight!
Though one could describe them as "fire chickens," they aren't actually that big of a problem. Like I said, their fire breath is costly to use, so they are hesitant to unleash it until they are certain danger is imminent. Thus, travelers or locals who stumble upon one aren't likely to be burned. At most, they will get a warning flare, and many folk are wise to back off. Though their flame doesn't pose much danger to smart people who know when to leave an animal alone, its blue color and beautiful display has inspired many an artist. Basan imagery is used in plenty of paintings, tapestries, decoration and signs. One restaurant I visited during my travels had a basan as its mascot! Unfortunately, that reminded me of the terrible joke I had to suffer through for so long. If there is one negative of the basan, it is that its existence created the horrid quip of "the chicken that cooks you!"If you didn't find that particularly funny, I can understand. If you did, repeat it about three dozen times and then let me know if it is still funny...
Chlora Myron
Dryad Natural Historian
Note: Eucella, I am not swapping out the word "cock" in this entry, because it is the actual word you use to describe a male chicken! Yes, I am well aware what that word means for humans! Why should I alter my writing when it's their juvenile behavior that is the issue here? At worst, humans reading this will have a childish chuckle to themselves and I am fine with that. Don't know why they make such a big deal about it and why they can't keep it to themselves. Do you know how many times dryads have to keep a straight face whenever a human complains about a pollen allergy?
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The fiery chicken, brought to life with the help of @Lediblock2 ! This one spits blue flame because you know the basan is known for....uh not doing that? Hold up, the fire they spit ISN'T blue?! Then where the hell did I get that idea from?! Like I could have sworn that was a detail about them, but then checking information about them today and apparently that isn't a thing? Well poop. Uh...I mean....MY version of a basan has been given the artistic touch of a blue flame! Yeah, that'll do....